Roy Halladay to Dodgers Rumors Begin

Jul 102009
 

The Dodgers are already in on Roy Halladay, the current ace pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. . Halladay is perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball and as long as he remains in Toronto his chances a winning a World Series remain slim at best. Current Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is “listening” to offers for Halladay, and the rumors are swirling. Even with the large price tag it remains very possible that Halladay is traded before the July 31 trade deadline. The most likely destinations are Phillies, Rangers, Giants, Cardinals, Angels, and the Dodgers. The current asking price for Halladay straight from SI’s Jon Heyman is substantial.

Now let’s move on and talk Dodgers. Roy Halladay is at the absolute top of my list of pitchers I want in a Dodgers uniform. However there are numerous reasons I don’t want Colletti to even pick up the phone and dial Ricciardi’s phone number. Sure the idea of having Halladay and Billingsley in the same rotation sounds good. This would give the Dodgers the best one two in the league. The Dodgers remain the best team in baseball and when you have a winning team on the field you do not want to disrupt that winning chemistry. With the Dodgers having only two top prospects in Baseball America’s Top 100 list, it could completely deplete what is left of our quality prospects. With that being what it is names like Kershaw, Ethier, Kemp will likely be discussed to even be considered trade partners. Top that off with $22MM owed on his current deal which expires at the end of the 2010 season. An extension will likely be required along with a full no trade clause. When all is said and done you have an ugly large pitching contract that the Dodgers have failed miserably one over the years. Remember Kevin Brown, Jason Schmidt, and Darren Dreifort? For these reasons and several others don’t plan on buying a Roy Halladay Dodgers jersey anytime soon or probably ever. However I will say if the Giants or Angels get serious on Halladay it may change this scenario rapidly.

 07/10/2009  Posted by at 12:02 pm Dodgers Rumors 2 Responses »

The Return Of Manny Ramirez

Jul 032009
 

Ladies and gentlemen the return of Manny Ramirez has finally arrived. The Dodgers are set to square off against the Padres tonight, and you gotta figure the Friars are going to let Manny have it. It should be fairly similar to the antics Dodger fans gave Barry Bonds when he was patrolling left field. Manny appears to be fully healed from his minor hamstring injury from earlier in the season and looks to be in great baseball shape.

Ramirez has got to be anxiously awaiting his return to Dodger Stadium on July 16th when the Dodgers host the visiting Houston Astros. The return of Manny is interesting to me as I am wondering what the fans response will be. There will probably be a fair share of boos heard throughout the stadium. I think most of the fans could care less about the PED allegations, strictly because his record speaks for itself.

The Dodgers are the still the best team in baseball and have been since May 3rd. The chemistry on this team is just an unbelievable sight. How will Manny’s rejoining the team affect the team, will his arrival become a distraction and cause the team to lose focus? Or will Manny Mania run rampant just like in July of 2008 when the Dodgers traded for the prolific slugger.

Juan Pierre who has been red hot in the last 60 days and has filled in perfectly for the Dodgers, will now find himself on the bench with Manny immediately taking over his starting spot on the team. Pierre who has showcased himself quite nicely will probably continue to hope for a trade, however the Dodgers don’t seem to be in any real hurry to deal their super 4th man.

In order to active Manny Ramirez from his suspension the Dodgers needed to clear a spot on the 40 man roster. While Manny was suspended he was inactive and did not count against the 40 man roster which has led us to the following moves made by the Dodgers. Eric Stults was activated from the disabled list and then immediately sent back to AAA and will start regularly. A.J. Ellis will also accompany Stults has they head back to Albuquerque. Long time minor league player Mitch Jones was designated for assignment despite hitting .308 during his first ever major league stint. Jones enters a 10-day window during which he can be claimed by another club, traded or released. This move was the necessary move the Dodgers had to make to make room for Manny.

More moves than just activating Ramirez must be made Friday. The Minor League rehab assignment for pitcher Claudio Vargas and his sprained right elbow is up, and he is expected to be activated to replace Ellis on the 25-man active roster. A 40-man spot would be needed for him, possibly by moving reliever Hong-Chih Kuo from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. If the Dodgers fail to activate Vargas he can declare free agency. Don’t expect that to happen as Torre and company will want to see if he can help on the Major League level before making a decision.

 07/03/2009  Posted by at 7:18 am Dodgers Rumors No Responses »

Trade Deadline Preview

Jun 262009
 

Dodger fans July is upon us and though the hot stove hasn’t quite heated up yet there is plenty to look at as we approach the July 31 trade deadline. The Dodgers have some definite needs and have the prospects and flexibility in payroll to make a deal or two. One big difference in 2009 is the Dodgers are the best team in baseball. They find themselves in a position for the first time in many years where they don’t have to make any moves. In years past they have been a few games out of it and they are pressing to pull of a deal that will enable them a trip to the post-season. This year Colletti holds all the cards and will have the ability to play hardball simply because he has the best team in baseball. The team is playing exceptionally well and has already placed themselves as the early NL West winners.

Every year there are buyers and sellers, and a few that fall somewhere in between. The NL East is up for grabs except for the Nationals who are completely out of it once again. The same goes for the NL Central where anyone can still win it there. For now let’s identify the clear buyers and sellers in order of record that may make some moves in the next 30 days or so.

Buyers
Los Angeles Dodgers
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays
Milwaukee Brewers

Sellers
Washington Nationals
Cleveland Indians
Arizona Dbacks
Kansas City Royals
Oakland A’s
San Diego Padres

The Nationals are in full rebuilding mode now and figure to be looking to move any players that are not part of the future. Adam Dunn, Christian Guzman, Nick Johnson, Austin Kearns, and Josh Willingham could all have new homes in the near future. The Indians are always looking to play “Deal or No Deal” as are the Pirates who may be in NL Wild Card hunt. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays are competing for the AL East spot and likely AL Wild Card spot so expect all three of them to be very active.

The Dodgers have matched up well in the past with GM’s Mark Shapiro from the Indians, Jim Huntington from the Pirates, and Theo Epstein of the Red Sox. All three teams will be looking to make deals let’s look at some of the Dodgers needs heading toward July 31.

The Dodgers need pitching, and what team doesn’t? The Red Sox and O’s are probably the only teams with a true surplus of pitching and the price will likely be high. The Dodgers would like to add one solid starter for the 2 or 3 spot in the rotation. The Dodgers have also been searching for bullpen help since the beginning of the season. The Dodgers have some depth at a few positions and will likely be active in the next several weeks.

Some targets that the may be on the Dodgers radar as well as some players that are likely to be dealt in the next several weeks.

Jarrod Washburn has been a recent target, as well as Cliff Lee. Dodger fans are crossing their fingers and toes at the thought of having either one of those guys in a Dodger uniform. As Ken Gurnick recently suggested, why not give Jason Schmidt one last shot? Can he really do any worse than Eric Milton at this point? What a comeback story that would be. Jon Garland and Doug Davis are both available as the Dbacks are absolute sellers. Jon Garland almost signed with the Dodgers in the offseason so he could be a target despite being in the same division. What about a package for David Price? If Roy Halladay was made available you know Colletti would be on the phone, the price would be astronomical remember the deal for Sabathia last year? Huston Street may be made available, and Pittsburgh has plenty of trade targets in the pitching department to look at especially John Grabow, he has Dodgers written all over him.

Juan Pierre remains the most likely Dodger starter to be traded. There is a lot of interest in James Loney and why wouldn’t there be? However you could put him in the list of the untouchable players and we all know the names on that list. Here are some realistic trade pieces we have to work with this July.

Jason Repko-Tons of talent just hasn’t been given real opportunity in the majors. He will likely never make it with the Dodgers and is likely to be traded.

Blake DeWitt-The former starter at 2nd and 3rd base has been dethroned by Orlando Hudson and his awesome 2009, as well as Casey Blake who has been exactly what Torre ordered since acquiring him in July 2008.

James McDonald, Eric Stults, Chin-lung Hu, Scott Elbert, A.J. Ellis, Jamie Hoffmann, Mitch Jones, and Xavier Paul have all been showcased and we could definitely see a package built around two or three of these guys for a starter or the bullpen help we are searching for. We also have some solid prospects that will be used if necessary. Devaris Gordon, Josh Lindblom, Trayvon Robinson, Andrew Lambo, and Josh Bell. These guys are all studs and will be required in any deal with a name like Cliff Lee, or Roy Halladay in it.

 06/26/2009  Posted by at 2:59 pm Dodgers Rumors No Responses »

Dodgers Injury Updates

Jun 242009
 

Here is the latest on the Dodgers disabled list.

Jason Schmidt is still recovering from shoulder surgery and was transferred to the 60 day DL on June 16th. There is no timetable for his return, and it is becoming more apparent that he may never pitch again in the majors.

Hong-Chih Kuo is still nowhere close to resuming baseball activities and last years setup man of the year winner is once again having trouble staying healthy. He has struggled with injuries his entire career, however when he is healthy he is one of the best relievers in the game. Hopefully Kuo can get healthy enough soon to make an impact in 2009.

Doug Mientkiewicz is still recovering from his dislocated shoulder. He has surgery back in April and best case scenario is a return shortly after the all-star break.

Claudio Vargas who has yet to make an appearance in 2009 is still recovering from his elbow injury from during the offseason. He recently threw three innings at AAA and is currently scheduled to return from the disabled list in the couple weeks.

Eric Milton, Xavier Paul, Eric Stults, and Will Ohman are all recovering well from their minor injuries. All four players are on schedule to return around the end of June. Paul will head back to the minors upon his return. Joe Torre will have to do some juggling of the roster to accomodate all of the pitchers he will have. The Dodgers will likely move back to a 13 man pitching rotation sending A.J. Ellis and Brent Leach back to the minors.

 06/24/2009  Posted by at 5:10 pm Dodgers Rumors No Responses »

Dodgers Looking To Add Pitching Depth

Jun 242009
 

This isn’t much of a rumor or news to anyone as every team is always looking to add a pitcher of some sort. However the Dodgers are in full buying mode as they are currently sitting on top of the MLB. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is actively looking for a starter and possibly a reliever as well. Not a lot of updates in regards to payroll flexibility but considering the Dodgers record you would have to figure there is some room to play with there.

Ken Gurnick just recently linked the Dodgers to Jarrod Washburn. We are getting close to July which means the hot stove will get fired up soon in anticipation of the July 31 Trade Deadline. With Endy Chavez out for the season a Juan Pierre for Washburn trade could make sense. Manny is due back in just over a week so if something is going to happen look for it to happen sooner rather than later.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers have inquired on the availability of Cliff Lee. Not a big surprise here the dodgers are looking for a solid starter to round out the rotation but who isn’t? The asking price is a top level young pitcher Clay Bucholz, Tommy Hanson, Clayton Kershaw, and Chad Billingsley. Kershaw and Billingsley are both untouchable as they should be. I would consider McDonald, DeWitt and a prospect for Lee but other than that no deal.

Here are a few players we know for sure are not on the Dodgers radar. Sports Illustrated just recently posted Tom Glavine is officially planning on sitting out the 2009 season but hasn’t announced his retirement yet. The Dodgers have also officially passed on Pedro Martinez recently according to Bill Shaikin.

 06/24/2009  Posted by at 12:56 pm Dodgers Rumors No Responses »
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